Rule 1: No complicated answers.

So, what do you do when you are asked a question about something that is really important to you, but you have no idea how to answer it?

Well, if you are me, you might bumble around spurting out stupid things, hoping that the other person will grab on to something you can explain... until you realize that you are just shooting yourself in the foot, so then you just shut up.

This happened to me recently.

The question was something to the effect of: "Why pray, when you can spend the same amount of time doing something practical?"

Basically: contemplative nun vs normal person.

In other words, do cloistered nuns have a place in today's society? If one must be a nun, why not be a religious nurse, or teacher, or something that requires physical/visible contributions to society?

Well... I can pull out my Bible, my Catechism, Church Fathers, Lives of the Saints and repeat the traditions of 2,000 years + some. However, this would only be helpful if I were talking to someone who believed in the power of prayer. But when someone doesn't have the same founding premises as I do, what can I say? And how can I prove the benefits of a life dedicated to prayer naturally, from purely a philosophical/natural level? And simply?

This person is a blessing in my life, because he helps me get rid of the fluff. In talking to him there is a rule:

Rule 1: No complicated answers.

Ok. So here is my non-complicated answer... I hope:

       • For a society to excel, the people must be virtuous. (Read Aristotle's Ethics & Politics, Aquinas' On Kingship, De Toqueville's Democracy in America.)

       • Virtuous people (i.e., the happy people) are focused on the greater good. (Aristole, Plato, Scriptures, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, experience, etc.,.)

       • Virtuous people become closer to perfection by continually striving to be better. These heroes are civil servants, volunteers, who do good things because they are good. "No greater love than giving up a life for a friend." They live to serve.

       • Holy nuns live to serve. Some serve as nurses, etc.,. however, even as contemplatives, they view themselves as raising up humanity. They dedicate their whole life to contributing to the greatest good: valuing every person and helping every individual to heal from his/her own brokeness, or in their language, sinfulness. They do this by offering up prayers and supplications.

      • Now say there is no God; and/or say their prayers don't really do all that they believe. Are their lives a waste?

       No. They offer hope. They offer a place of peace. They are real examples of total self sacrifice, a virtue that even Hollywood tries to capture. Millions of people over centuries and even at this moment flock to places dedicated to prayer and healing, because at some point, all persons seek release from suffering.

        Contemplatives offer real solutions: they live redemptive suffering (using suffering for good) and teach others how to do the same. Thus, they inspire others to be first class citizens, to walk the better, though harder road. They, by their own lives of prayer, learn how to rely not on events or persons to make them happy, but to find happiness in what cannot be taken away. In this, they are grounded and centered. This centeredness is very attractive to "normal" persons, who try to find this in everyday ways, such as in yoga. (Every culture has some form of persons specifically assigned to contemplation.)

         AND even, if they have no contact with "normal" persons, they can be happy with themselves because they are living for a cause and entirely dedicating themselves to it.

        • Now say there is God; and say their prayers really do all that they believe.

         :-) Wouldn't you say they have the most noble life?

          1. They strive to in every moment be focused on the will of God and conform themselves to perfection.  In their seclusion and prayer focused life, they limit the distractions that the more "practical" secular life offers.

         2. They are spending their lives in serving others, and not just anybody. They serve complete strangers and often the rejected, lonely, sick, and the hated.

         3. The hope and peace that they offer others is greatly magnified because they have a unique connection with God, who is the Author of healing, joy and peace. Miracles through their intercession are possible and are more valuable than anything science can offer.

Resurrection, the Heartbeat of Our Lives

I started this blog last Easter Sunday. While it has been a full liturgical year, it falls short three weeks of the calendar year. Rereading what I wrote on this great feast last year, I am reminded that while my calendar days pass, and my "in the moment" troubles rise and fall, one thing endures: the Resurrection.

Because of the Resurrection we have hope; we can anticipate everlasting Joy; we can overcome every suffering. The beauty of this truth never gets old. It is the heartbeat of my life. My hope is that it is yours, too.

By focusing on the Suffering, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we can journey on the road to perfection -- the road to be the best versions of ourselves. There is no shortcut to virtue: it is found in living our every moment in celebration of the Life of Jesus. We are to embrace our crosses like He did, and in doing so we WILL rise to forever abide in Him.

http://www.blessedbhisname.blogspot.com/2011/04/resurrection-example-of-how-to-deal.html

Perfect Joy - According to St. Francis

Yesterday was Gaudette Sunday and I was looking for some profound meditation on joy. Instead, I found this wonderful story of Saint Francis.

From: http://feastofsaints.com/perfectjoy.htm

How St. Francis Taught Brother Leo That Perfect Joy Is Only in the Cross

to left: Giotto's Saint Francis

One winter day St. Francis was coming to St. Mary of the Angels from Perugia with Brother Leo, and the bitter cold made them suffer keenly. St. Francis called to Brother Leo, who was walking a bit ahead of him, and he said: "Brother Leo, even if the Friars Minor in every country give a great example of holiness and integrity and good edification, nevertheless write down and note carefully that perfect joy is not in that."

 And when he had walked on a bit, St. Francis called him again, saying: "Brother Leo, even if a Friar Minor gives sight to the blind, heals the paralyzed, drives out devils, gives hearing back to the deaf, makes the lame walk, and restores speech to the dumb, and what is still more, brings back to life a man who has been dead four days, write that perfect joy is not in that."

And going on a bit, St. Francis cried out again in a strong voice: "Brother Leo, if a Friar Minor knew all languages and all sciences and Scripture, if he also knew bow to prophesy and to reveal not only the future but also the secrets of the consciences and minds of others, write down and note carefully that perfect joy is not in that."

And as they walked on, after a while St. Francis called again forcefully: 'Brother Leo, Little Lamb of God, even if a Friar minor could speak with the voice of an angel, and knew the courses of the stars and the powers of herbs, and knew all about the treasures in the earth, and if be knew the qualities of birds and fishes, animals, humans, roots, trees, rocks, and waters, write down and note carefully that true joy is not in that."

And going on a bit farther, St. Francis called again strongly: "Brother Leo, even if a Friar Minor could preach so well that be should convert all infidels to the faith of Christ, write that perfect joy is not there."

Now when he had been talking this way for a distance of two miles, Brother Leo in great amazement asked him: "Father, I beg you in God's name to tell me where perfect joy is."

And St. Francis replied; "When we come to St. Mary of the Angels, soaked by the rain and frozen by the cold, all soiled with mud and suffering from hunger, and we ring at the gate of the Place and the brother porter comes and says angrily: 'Who are you?' And we say: 'We are two of your brothers.' And he contradicts us, saying: 'You are not telling the truth. Rather you are two rascals who go around deceiving people and stealing what they give to the poor. Go away]' And he does not open for us, but makes us stand outside in the snow and rain, cold and hungry, until night falls-then if we endure all those insults and cruel rebuffs patiently, without being troubled and without complaining, and if we reflect humbly and charitably that that porter really knows us and that God makes him speak against us, oh, Brother Leo, write that perfect joy is there!

'And if we continue to knock, and the porter comes out in anger, and drives us away with curses and hard blows like bothersome scoundrels, saying; 'Get away from here, you dirty thieves-go to the hospital! Who do you think you are? You certainly won't eat or sleep here'--and if we bear it patiently and take the insults with joy and love in our hearts, Oh, Brother Leo, write that that is perfect joy!

And if later, suffering intensely from hunger and the painful cold, with night falling, we still knock and call, and crying loudly beg them to open for us and let us come in for the love of God, and he grows still more angry and says: 'Those fellows are bold and shameless ruffians. I'll give them what they deserve.'  And he comes out with a knotty club, and grasping us by the cowl throws us onto the ground, rolling us in the mud and snow, and beats us with that club so much that he covers our bodies with wounds--if we endure all those evils and insults and blows with joy and patience, reflecting that we must accept and bear the sufferings of the Blessed Christ patiently for love of Him, oh, Brother Leo, write: that is perfect joy!

'And now hear the conclusion, Brother Leo. Above all the graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit which Christ gives to His friends is that of conquering oneself and willingly enduring sufferings, insults, humiliations, and hardships for the love of Christ. For we cannot glory in all those other marvelous gifts of God, as they are not ours but God's, as the Apostle says: 'What have you that you have not received?' But we can glory in the cross of tribulations and afflictions, because that is ours, and so the Apostle says: 'I will not glory save in the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ.'"

To whom be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

from The Little Flowers of St Francis, The "Fioretti"

The Missing Finger

I do not know the origin of this story, but I thought it was a good and simple illustration of the wisdom of  God.  Although, I would like to take the moral of the story a little further-- that this life is not our end. Most of the time evil is allowed for our spiritual good, so that we may have everlasting life. It is better to lose a limb, a friend, possessions, etc.. than to be in the state of sin. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A king who did not believe in the goodness of God, had a slave who, in all circumstances, said: "My king, do not be discouraged, because everything God does is perfect. No mistakes!"

One day they went hunting and along the way a wild animal attacked the king. His slave managed to kill the animal, but could not prevent his majesty from losing a finger.

Furious and without showing his gratitude for being saved, the nobleman said: "Is God good? If He was good, I would not have been attacked and lost my finger." 

The slave replied: "My king, despite all these things, I can only tell you that God is good, and he knows "why" all things occur. "
  
Outraged by the response, the king ordered the arrest of his slave.

Later, he left alone for another hunt and was captured by savages who made human sacrifices.

In the altar, ready to sacrifice the nobleman, the savages found that the victim was missing one of his fingers, so he was released. They needed a "perfect" sacrifice.

Upon his return to the palace, he authorized the release of his slave.

"God was really good to me! I was almost killed by the wild men, but for lack of a single finger, I was let go! But I have a question: if God is so good, why did he allow me to put you in jail?"

"My King, if I had gone with you in this hunt, I would have been sacrificed for you, because I have no missing finger.  Remember everything God does is perfect." 

Often we complain about life and the negative things that happen to us, forgetting that nothing is random and that everything has a purpose.

Perfection... from St. Faustina's Diary

"When I had gone to the chapel for a moment, the Lord gave me to know that, among His chosen ones, there are some who are especially chosen, and whom He calls to a higher form of holiness, to an exceptional union with Him. These are seraphic souls, from whom God demands greater love than He does the others.  Although all live in the same convent,  yet He sometimes demands a particular soul a greater degree of love.  Such a soul understands this call, because God makes this known to it interiorly, but the soul may either follow this call or not. It depends on the soul itself whether it is faithful to these touches of the Holy Spirit, or whether it resists them. I have learned that there is a place in purgatory where souls will pay their debt to God for such transgressions; this kind of torment is the most difficult of all. The soul which is specially marked by God will be distinguished everywhere, whether in heaven or in purgatory or hell. In heaven, it will be distinguished from other souls by greater glory and radiance and deeper knowledge of God. In purgatory, by greater pain, because it knows God more profoundly and desires Him more vehemently. In hell, it will suffer more profoundly than other souls, because it knows more fully whom it has lost. This indelible mark of God's exclusive love, in the [soul], will not be obliterated." - Divine Mercy In My Soul, Notebook V #1556 

"Let the souls who are striving for perfection particularly adore My mercy, because the abundance of graces which I grant them flows from My mercy. I desire that these souls distinguish themselves by boundless trust in My mercy. I myself will attend to the sanctification of such souls. I will provide them with everything they will need to attain sanctity. The graces of My mercy are drawn by the means of one vessel only, and that is -- trust.  The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive. Souls that trust boundlessly are a great comfort to Me, because I pour all the treasures of My graces into them. I rejoice that they ask for much, because it is my desire to give much, very much. On the other hand, I am sad when souls ask for little, when they narrow their hearts." - Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy In My Soul, Notebook V #1578